Athletic trousers



Dec. 8, 1931. F. w. GLAHE ATHLETIC TROUSERS Filed Feb. 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l I NVEN TOR. FRED vv. QLAHE A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 8, 1931. w GLAHE 1,835,295

ATHLETIC TROUSERS Filed Feb. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRED w. QLAl/E ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 8, 1.931

'UNITEDFSTATEAS PATENT oFFIcs FRED w. GLA IE, or crrrceeo, ILLINOIS, Assmnon TO CHARLES E. DORAIS, or mnorir} MIGHIGAN A'rIILErIc 'rnousnns Application filed February 12,. 1931. Serial No. 515,163.

This invention has to do with improvements in an athletic garment and particularly to improved constructions designed to permit freedom of movement of a Joint such as the knee or elbow. The invention is particularly concerned'withsuch a construction at the knee of athletic trousers and is exemplified in trousers usedin'the game'of football. The invention embodies a con- 1 struction employing an excess of material to permit of knee movement such. as is described and claimed inthe patent application of Charles E. Dorais, filed June 27, 1929, Serial No. 374,067, and involves diiferentar r'angements of the goods and parts which go to make up the trousers. I v

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front View illustrating that portion ofa trousers leg at about the knee of the wearer. H Y Fig. 2is a section taken substantially on line 22 ofFig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is another section illustrating the trousers leg as it may appear when theknee 1s bent. .L 1

Fig. 4 is'a front view of the modified form of trousers leg structure. I

Fig.- 5 is a section taken substantially on Fig. 5 5 thereof. Fig. 6 is a section showing the structure of Fig. 5 when the kneeis bent. I v Fig. 7 is a view showing trousers such as may be employedwith the knee structures shown in Figs. 1, 2'and 3. The trousers comprises a suitable trunk portion 1 and main leg portions 2, with term1- nating leg portions 3 designed toterminate a distance below the knee; As shown in Fig. 2 the material at the back of the leg may be continuous; in other words, a single piece of I as shown. Thus the lower part of the leg is To permit of knee movement, however,

suificient excess material is provided, and

this is arranged tobe confined when the knee is substantiallystraight-so as to present a trim, snug appearance. The material atthe front of the leg, at about theknee, is folded back as at 10 so as to extend upwardly, and then folded again upon itself asat 11. This fold is at about the knee and isdesigned to be normally concealed when the leg is straight asshown in Fig. 2. F orthis purpose padding and stiffening elements for protecting the knee may beutilized. In the main leg portion, which I will term that portion just above the fold, there is preferably placed a relatively stiff insert which maybe of fiber board or the like, shown at 12, and it may be held in place and enclosed by a covering piece 13 sewed to-the inside of the leg. Just below the folder in the terminating leg portion there may be another fiber or relatively stiff protecting insert 14, and over it may be a padding of felt or the like 15. These maybe secured by stitches 16 and 17 taken both through the padding and insert. Thestifl insert may extend well up toward the reverse fold 11. The lower edge of the front part of the leg may be suitably reinforced by the hem, as at 18. The folded material may be stitched together at the sideseams 4, and at the; front stitched or otherwise secured for a slight distance in towards the center line, and reinforced by stitches or leather pieces 19. Between the parts 19 there isno connection, as shown in Fig. 2, save for the indirect connection through the folded parts, When the leg is bent the'terminating portion, ineluding padding 15 and reinforcement 1118111- ber 14:, follow with that part of the leg below the knee and draws away from the main leg portion which ispermitted by the pulling out of excess material. This is illustratedin Fig. 8 showing substantially the l limit of movement. Due to the arrangement and construction of parts the fold-is at all times, when the leg is normally straight, held con cealed so that there is no excess material visible in the nature of folds or the like, thus presenting a clean cut snug appearance which also works to material advantage in the game of football as it minimizes the possibility of opposing players catching hold of excess or loose cloth. When the leg is straightened the parts 14 and 15, being of relatively stiff formation, effectively carry the fold 11 back in behind the lower edge'of the main leg portion. More specifically, behind the parts identified by the characters 12 and 13.

A modified form is shown in Fig. 5. Here the cloth forming the front of the trouser, as shown at 20, is folded back as at 21, folded again upon itself as at 22, providedv with another fold upon itself 23 and then turns down as at 24, to form the terminating part of the knee. This leaves a gap as shown; while the material at 25 remains visible this is the same material as forms the otherparts of the front of the trouser. A suitable stiff reinforcement element, such as fiber or the like as at 26, padded by element 27 may be positioned at the lower edge of the main leg portion, while a similar reinforcing element 28 and pad 29 may be used at the upper part of the terminating leg portion; to the rear of the part 25 there may be a stiffening element 30 padded'by pad 31. The rear part of the trouser leg, as shown inFigs. 4, 5 and 6 may be substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 2. When the leg is bent the excess material is drawn out as illustrated in Fig. 6. In this form the stiff reinforcement members sub stantially overlap and at all times substantially protect the knee.

When it is said herein'that excess material is distended it is not meant that the same is drawn taut, as many times the knee may be bent only partially. Maximum bending of the knee may not draw the excess material taut.

Claims:

1. An athletic trouser comprising a leg portion positioned in the main above the knee, a portion below the knee, the cloth forming the front of the leg extending from the first mentioned portion to the lower edge of the second portion and being folded back upon itself to extend upwardly, and then again upon itself to extend downwardly to form a fold of excess material, reinforcement means positioned in the first portion and ex tending substantially to the first fold, and reinforcement means in the second portion arranged to slightly overlap the first reinforcement means when theleg is straight, the material of the fold between said portions adapted to be distended when the knee is bent.

2. In an athletic trouser leg, a piece of fabric at the front of the leg folded back upon itself substantially at the knee, said fabric being again folded upon itself to extend downwardly to form a lower end of the trouser below the knee, reinforcement means positioned with the part substantially in the first fold, and reinforcement means inside the trouser leg and secured to the said fabric substantially at the second mentioned fold.

3. In an athletic trouser, a main leg portion and a terminating leg portion of fabric or the like for disposition on opposite sides of the knee of the wearer, said terminating leg portion being arranged to snugly fit the leg of the wearer below the knee, a stiff reinforcement member attached to the fabric of the front of the main leg portion, said member defining the lower edge of the main leg portion, said fabric being folded upwardly around the lower edge of the said member, and then being folded upon itself and eX- tending downwardly to form the terminatleg portion being arranged to snugly fit the L leg of the wearer below the knee, a stiff reinforcement-member attached to the fabric of the front of the leg portion, said member defining the lower edge of the main leg portion, said fabric being folded upwardly around the lower edge of the said member, and then being folded upon itself. and extending downwardly to form the terminating leg portion, a reinforcement member inside the fabric of the terminating leg portion and se-' cured thereto substantially at the second fold above the lower edge of the first mentioned reinforcement member, and a pad member secured to the inside of the second re inforcement member.

5. In an athletic trouser, a main leg portion and a terminating leg portion of fabric or the like for disposition on opposite sides of the knee of the wearer, said terminating leg portion being arranged to snugly fit the leg of the wearer below the knee, a stiff reinforcement member attached. to the fabric at the front of the leg portion, said member defining the lower edge of the main leg portion, said fabric being folded upwardly around the lower edge of said member, and then being folded upon itself andextending downwardly to form the terminating leg portion, a reinforcement member inside the fabric of the terminating leg portion and secured thereto substantially at the second fold above the lower edge of the first mentioned reinforcement member, a pad member secured to the inside'of the second reinforcement member, said pad member extending front fabric being folded upwardly and then downwardly to provide excess material, reinforcement means secured to the fabric in the first fold, and reinforcement means secured to the fabric inside the part of thefabric which extends downwardly from the second mentioned fold. V V

7. In an athletic garment, a main leg portion and a terminating leg portion positioned on opposite sides of the, knee of the wearer, the fabric at the frontof the leg at substantially the knee being folded inwardly and upwardly, then folded again downwardly, then again folded upwardly, and having a fourth fold downwardly, the first and last folds defining the lower and upper edges, respectively, of the main leg portiona-nd terminating leg portion, the material in the folds being adapted. to be distended when the leg is bent.

'8. In an athletic garment, a main leg portion and a terminating leg portion positioned on opposite sides of the knee of the wearer, the fabric at the front of the leg at substantially the knee being folded inwardly and upwardly, then folded again downwardly, then again folded upwardly, and having a fourth fold downwardly, thefirst and last folds defining the lowerand upper edges, respectively, of the main leg portion and terminating leg portion, the material in the folds being adapted to be distended when the leg is bent, reinforcement means substantially in the first fold, and reinforcement means substantially in the fourthfoldfor defining said upper and lower edges, respectively. v

9. In an athletic garment, a main leg portion and a terminating leg portion positioned on opposite sides of the knee of the wearer, the fabric at the front of the leg at substantially the knee being folded inwardly and upwardly, then folded again downwardly, then again folded upwardly, and folded a fourth time downwardly, the first and last folds defining the lower and upper edges, respectively, of the main leg portion and terminating leg portion, the material in the folds being adapted to be distended when the leg is bent, reinforcement means substantially in the first fold, reinforcement means substantially in the fourth fold for defining said upper and lower edges, respectively, and

a reinforcement means attached to said. fab

ric inside the leg and between the second and third mentioned folds.

10. In an athletic trouser, a front fabric having a fold upwardly to define the lower edge of a main le portion, reinforcement means in the fold, said fabric being folded a second time downwardly, and a third time upwardly, reinforcement means between the second and third folds and inside the trouser, said fabric thenihaving a downward fold defining the upper edge of a terminating leg portion, reinforcement means in the last mentioned fold, the said lower and upper edges of the leg portions being normally spaced with the fabric material between the second and third folds positioned interiorly thereof and bridging said space. Y

11. In an athletic trouser, a front fabric having a fold upwardly to define the lower edge of a main legportion, reinforcement means in the fold, said fabric being folded a second time downwardly, and a third time upwardly, reinforcement means between the second and third folds and inside the trouser, said fabric then having a downward fold defining the upper edge of a terminating leg portion, reinforcement means in the last mentioned fold, the said lower and upper edges of the leg portions being normallyspaced with the fabric material between the second 7 and third folds positioned interiorly thereof and bridging said space, and-a pad cov-' ering the reinforcement on the portion be:

tween the second and third folds.

12. In anathletic trouser, a front fabric havinga fold upwardly to define'the lower edge of a main leg portion, reinforcement means in the'fold, said fabric being folded a second time downwardly, and a third time upwardly, reinforcement means between the second andthird folds and inside the trouser, said fabric then having a downward fold defining the upper edge of a terminating leg portion, reinforcement means in the last mentioned fold, the said lower and upper edges of the leg portions beingnormally spaced with the fabric material between the second and third folds positioned interiorly thereof and bridging said space, and pads over each of the three reinforcement means.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

FRED W. GLAHE. 

